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G. V'.-ROTE. AUTOMATIC CAR BRAKE.

No.274,388. 2? Patented. Mar. 20, 1883.

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' AUTOMATIC CAR BRAKE. Dim-274,388. Patented Mar. 20,1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES V. ROTE, OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF SEVEN- EIGHT'HS TO JOHN W. HOLMAN AND ROBERT M. AGNEW,.OF SAME PLACE, HENRY HIUE, OF BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA, AND ";\-IIOHAEL D.

HARTER, OF MANSFIELD, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC CARI-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,388, dated March 20, 1883.

Application filed January 9. 1883. (No model.) I

he automatic in its action in whichever direction the car may be drawn; and it consists in the combination, with the sliding draw-bar, of an i adjustable block or dog for actuating a brakelever extending at one end within the path of said block or dog, and a cam-lever for adjusting the dog to act on said brake-lever, or per mitting it to move to one side and pass by the brake-lever without actuating it; and in oertain details of construction and arrangement of parts in carrying out said invention, as here-' inat'ter explained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is 2 5 a bottom view of a portion of a car, showing my improved'brake-actuating mechanism applied; and Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section taken on the line a; :10, Fig.1.

The brakes, and the arrangement of mech- 0 anism adapting them to be operated by hand,

may be of any preferred form and arrangement, as my invention is designed to be applied in connection with the brakes in ordinary use, and said parts, therefore, will not be de- 5 scribed in detail further than is necessary to show the application of my improvements.

A represents the ordinary or any preferred form of draw-bar, secured to the floor-timbers of a car in any usual or preferred manner,

0 adapting it to receive an endwise movement, and forming, also, what is usuall termed a yielding bumper. In the drawings it is shown adapted to slide in a pendent loop or yoke, B, and between two pendent longitudinal guide bars or hounds, 0 and O, secured to the lower face of the floor-frame, and which serve to guide and steady the endwise movement of the draw-bar. The lower face of the draw-bar is left uncovered or exposed, and to said face is attached an adjustable block 0 or dog, D, to which the cndwise movement of the draw bar is imparted. The dog or block Dis shown in the drawings connected by a pivot, 01, at its forward or outer end, to the draw-bar in such manner as to permit its inner end to swing or be adjusted laterally, and said inner end is provided with a vertical face, adapting it, when properly adjusted and held, to act upon the brake-lever hereinafter described, and by preference is rounded or made cam-shaped from side to side to adapt it, when released or adjusted to one side, to relieve itself from and to pass by said brake-lever.

E represents the brake-lever, arranged at right angles to thepath of the dog D, or nearly 6 5 so, and with its inner short arm projected within the path of the inner end of said dog. This.

lever E may be pivoted to the lower face of one of the floor-timbers, if desired; but for convenience of attachment it is preferred to pivotit c in an angular hanger or bracket, G, attached by suitable feet to the bottom of the car or floor-frame timbers, and properly braced, with its horizontal portion underlying the brakelever, which is pivoted to its upper face, said bracket or hanger extending to the opposite side of the draw-bar, and forming also a support for the pivot of a cam-lever, F, for adj nsting the dog, as will be explained.

The outer long arm of the brake-lever is connected by a rod or chain, c, with the jointed rod 0, through which the brakes are connected with the ordinary hand wheel or lever for operating the brakes by hand. The cam-lever F is pivoted on the opposite side of the draw-bar 8 5 from the brake-lever, and its short inner arm, adjacent to and resting against the side of the dog D, is cam-faced, or of eccentric formation, in such manner that as the long arm is pressed forward or inward it serves to crowd the swing- 9o ing end of the dog over toward the brake-lever, and when held in such adjustment to cause the dog to act upon the inner short arm of the brake-lever when the draw-bar is pushed inward, carrying said arm with it and causing it, through the long arm and the rods or chains 6 and e, to act upon the brakes in the same manner as if the brake-rod or rod and chain 0 were acted upon by the usual hand wheel or lever.

The long arm of the cam-lever is by preference made flat, and extends through a guiding loop or bracket, H, and is provided with a loop or handle,f, at its end forfacilitating its adjustment, the guiding loopv or plate H being perforated and provided with a pin, h, for holding it at either end of its throw-at one side for holding the dog D in position to act on the brake-lever, and at the other for relieving the dog and allowing it to move laterally and pass by the end of the brake-lever without actuating it; but any suitable device for holding the lever at the desired adjustment and for relieving and adjusting it may be employed. By preference, also, a spring, 6 is formed in the link or rod 0, connecting the long arm of the brake-lever with the rod orchain a, through which the brakes are operated by hand, for permitting a slight yielding between the brakes and said lever to protect the parts against any sudden jar or strain and a too powerful application of the brakes, but at the same time of sufficient strength or tension to hold the brakes up to their work with the required pressure when applied. By this arrangement, also, the brake-lever will always be held with its inner end pressed outward or forward in position to be acted upon by the dog D; and to prevent said end from being swung sufficiently far for-.

ward to escape from said dog, when the latter .is drawn outward with the draw-bar, a fixed stop, g, is employed, attached to the bound U, or to the hanger G, or other fixed point of support. Said step may be made adjustable, if desired, to regulate the forward or outward throw of the short arm of the brake-lever and to compensate for wear of the parts. To pre-' vent undue sagging of the spring or brake chain when slack, it may be held suspended from the bottom of the car by a link or chain.

Pendent springs I 1, attached to transverse bars of the truck-frame, rest at their lower ends against the brake-bar, and serve, when the brakes are not forced into contact with the wheels, to hold said brakes away from the wheels, and to assist in taking up any slack in the brake rod or chain.

The form of the cam-lever and other parts draw-bar is pressed inward said dog will act directly on the inner short arm of the brakelever, and, acting through the long arm on the brake rod or chain, will apply the brakes as long as such inward pressure is continued and with a force proportionate to the amount of pressure applied to the draw-bar, while if the cam-lever be adjusted to release or withdraw the dog the latter, at its inner end, will pass freely by the brake-lever without actuatingit.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new. is

1. The combination, with the sliding drawbar, of an adjustable block or dog connected to and moving with said draw-bar, and adapted at its inner end to act on a brake-lever, one end of which is projected within the path of said block or dog, whereby said block or dog can be adjusted to actuate said lever or moved aside to permit its inner end to pass the brakelever without actuating it.

2. The combination, with the brake-lever, of a dog or block pivoted at its outer end to the slidingdraw-bar,and adapted atitsinnerswinging end, when properly adjusted, to vibrate said brake-lever for actuating the brakes, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the sliding drawbar, of the pivoted block or dog, the brake-lever projected within the path of said dog or block, and the cam-lever, by the adjustment of which the said dog can be set to act on the brake-lever or be allowed to swing aside without acting on it, substantially as described.

4. The brake-lever, in combination with the sliding draw-bar and the dog or block pivoted thereto for actuating said brake-lever, and a fixed stop for preventing displacement of the brake-lever and holding its inner end in position to be acted upon-by said pivoted block or dog, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the sliding draw-bar,

an adjustable block or dog secured to and moving with said draw-bar, a brake-lever, one arm of which is projected within the path of said block or dog, a cam-lever for adjusting said block or dog, and means for holding said camlever, whereby it can be set for causing the block or dog to act on the brake-lever or to allow the block or dog to move aside without actuating said brake-lever, substantially as described.

6. The brake-lever E, actuated by the ad IIO 

